Slidable cover for portable sprayer



Aug. 2, 1955 c. H. THOMPSON SLIDABLE COVER FOR PORTABLE SPRAYER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1953 T II N" EFEWZZIT C/ayzozz H. 772022225012 b H ww fi Aug. 2, 1955 c. H. THOMPSON 2,714,527

SLIDABLE COVER FOR PORTABLE SPRAYER I Clayzozz f1. Thompson E L77 wgwaxw 1/ LHE United States Patent Clayton H. Thompson, Elgin,

Sweeper Company, Elgin,

Application January 5, 1953, Serial No. 329,529 7 Claims. (Cl. 299-29)111., assignor to Elgin 111., a corporation of Illinois This inventionrelates to portable insecticide sprayers and more particularly to aslidable cover structure therefor.

In the use of portable sprayers, such as are used by municipalities andfarmers for killing insects, it becomes desirable to cover the sprayoperating mechanism from the constantly falling spray material. Numerousefforts have been made to cover such mechanism with hinged covers andthe like but have not proven satisfactory because exposed parts, such ashinges, quickly corrode due to their being continuously exposed tocorrosive spray material.

In addition, such previous hinged covers did not present a continuousunbroken surface wherein spray particles could not work their waythrough; and also they only permitted limited room for making repairs,greasing and the like.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a simplereadily movable cover for a portable sprayer which presents asubstantially unbroken exterior surface and which can be readily movedfrom mechanism covering position to a position for exposing and makingeasily accessible the spray operating mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple rolling typecover for a sprayer and which will automatically retain itself in eitherone of two positions to which it is manually moved.

In accordance with the general features of this invention there isprovided in a portable sprayer including a chassis having thereon a tankof material to be sprayed and spray operating mechanism on the chassisat one end of the tank, a generally U-shaped cover extending over andalong the sides of the tank and a slide mechanism between the cover andtank extending generally lengthwise of the tank and chassis andsupporting the cover for sliding movement in one direction to extendover the spray mechanism and also for sliding movement in an oppositedirection over the tank to expose the spray mechanism for accessthereto.

Another feature of the invention relates to inclining the slidemechanism so that the cover, when it is moved over the sprayer tank, canmove upwardly to clear the top of the filler cap on the tank.

Yet, another feature of the invention relates to providing the coverwith an extension which serves as a covering guard for the hot exhaustpipe of the prime mover used to actuate the blower of the sprayer.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof andin which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable sprayer equipped with mynovel slidable type cover;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the tank on the sprayer showing itequipped with the tracks of my sliding mechanism and with the cover andparts of the mechanism omitted;

Figure 3 is an end view of the tank and cover assembly taken to the rearof the sprayer mechanism and with the sprayer mechanism omitted;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantiallythe line IVIV of Figure 3 looking in the direction indicated by thearrows and showing the cover moved forward on the tank in a position inwhich the operating mechanism would be uncovered and exposed; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing more clearly theexhaust pipe cover detail.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring to Figure 1 the reference character 10 designates generallythe chassis of a portable sprayer carried on wheels 11, one of which isshown. The chassis has bolted on its rear end a platform 12 on which anoperator may stand for manipulating the sprayer.

The other and front end of the chassis 10 carries a tank 13 for holdingthe insecticide material to be sprayed. This front end of the vehiclemay be attached by any suitable coupling means (not shown) to theconveying vehicle or track for propelling the portable sprayer over theground and along the countryside to be sprayed. The tank 13 has a cap 14which is removable to permit filling of the tank with spray material.

Located at the rear ofthe tank 13 and between the tank and the platform12 is a sprayer which includes a blower 16 and a manually movable nozzle17 adapted to be manipulated by the operator standing on the platformfor the effective spraying of the countryside, orchard or the like.Positioned to one side and extending rearwardly from the blower 16 is asprayer actuating mechanism 18 including a prime mover having an exhaustpipe 19 mounted adjacent the rear end of the tank 13. My invention isconcerned with providing a cover for this sprayer mechanism 18 so as toassist in shielding it from the downwardly gravitating mist like sprayemanating from the nozzle 17. I have designated my novel slidable covergenerally by the reference numeral 20.

In Figure 1, the cover is shown in a mechanism covering position whereasin Figure 4 it is shown in a position wherein it is moved forwardly overthe tank to expose the sprayer actuating mechanism 18.

This cover is generally of a U-shaped cross section and may be made fromany suitable sheet metal. By reason of the fact that the cover is of aone-piece structure, it presents a substantially unbroken surface to anyspray mist gravitating thereon.

As best shown in Figure 3, the cover 20 includes a top 21 and twoparallel sides or legs 2222. The top has a raised section 23 in which isdisposed the rollers 24 for slidably supporting the cover on paralleltracks 2525. It will be clear from Figures 3 and 4 that the cover hastwo pair of rollers 24, there being one pair for each of the trackways25. Each roller is preferably equipped with an anti-frictional bearing(not shown) of any conventional construction for facilitating moving ofthe roller along the trackway.

The parallel tracks 2525 (Figure 2) comprise angular channel armssuitably bolted or otherwise secured to the top of the tank 13 below theraised section 23 of the cover. Attention is directed to the fact thateach track, as best shown in Figure 4, is inclined rearwardly anddownwardly toward the sprayer mechanism so that the cover 20, as it ismoved forward over the tank to expose the mechanism, can clear thefiller cap 14. Also, each track has a roller receiving notch 26 at itsrear extremity and a similar notch 27 at its front extremity. Thesenotches serve to hold the rollers and thereby the cover in either therearward or forward positions, such as the case might be. Furthermore,by having the trackway slightly inclined rearwardly, the cover will morereadily stay in its covering position since it has to be moved upwardlyin order to move it to an uncovering position. The antifrictionalrollers 24, however, facili- 3 tate easy manual sliding of the cover toeither of its two positions.

' Attention is also directed to the fact that the cover, as best shownin Figures 4 and S, is provided with an integral angular sheet metalextension 28 which fits around one side and over the top of the hotexhaust pipe 19 when the cover is in its mechanism covering position.This feature is advantageous in that it enables the cover to serve as aguard or shieldfor assisting in preventing manual contact with this hotexhaust pipe.

I claim as my invention;

1. In a portable sprayer, a chassis, a tank of material to 'be sprayedthereon, operating mechanism on the chassis at one end of the tank fordispensing the material to be sprayed from the tank, a generallyU-shaped cover extending over and along the sides of said tank and aslide mechanism between the cover' and tank extending generallylengthwise of the tank and chassis and supporting the cover forlongitudinal sliding movement in one direction to extend over theoperating mechanism and also for sliding movement in an oppositedirection over the tank to expose the operating mechanism for accessthereto. V

2. In a portable sprayer, a chassis, a tank of material to be sprayedthereon, operating mechanism on the chassis at one end of the tank fordispensing the material to be sprayed from the tank, a generallyU-shaped cover extending over and along the sides of said tank and aslide mechanism between the cover and tank extending generallylengthwise of the tank and chassis and supporting the cover forlongitudinal sliding movement in one direction to extend over theoperating mechanism and also for sliding movement in an oppositedirection over the tank to expose the operating mechanism for accessthereto, said slide mechanism including a track over the tank inclineddownwardly in a direction toward the operating mechanism and rollermeans on the underside of the cover riding in said track.

3. In a portable sprayer, a chassis, a tank of material 'to' be sprayedthereon, provided with a detachable filler cap and operating mechanismon the chassis at one end of the tank for dispensing the material to besprayed from the tank, a generally U-shaped cover extending over andalong the sides of said tank and a slide mechanism between the cover andtank extending generally lengthwise of the tank and chassis andsupporting the cover for sliding movement in one direction to extendover the operating mechanism and also for longitudinal sliding movementin an opposite direction over the tank to expose the operating mechanismfor access thereto, said slide mechanism including a track over the tankinclined downwardly in a direction toward the operating mech-.

anism and roller means on the underside of the cover riding in saidtrack, said track being notched at opposite ends for receiving andretaining the roller means depending upon which direction the cover ismoved, said roller means being readily disengageable from the notchesupon manual pressure being applied to the cover for sliding it from oneof said positions to the other, the inclination of the track being ofsuch extent as to afford clearance for the cover to ride up over thefiller cap when the cover is slid from over the operating mechamsm.

4. In a portable sprayer, a chassis, a tank of material to be sprayedthereon; operating mechanism on the chassis at one end of the tank fordispensing the material to be sprayed from the tank, a cover extendingover and along the sides of said tank and a slide mechanism between thecover and tank extending generally lengthwise of the tank and chassisand supporting the cover for sliding movement in one direction to extendover the operating mechanism and also for longitudinal sliding movementin an opposite direction over the tank to expose the operating mechanismfor access thereto, said slide mechanism including a track over the tankinclined downwardly in a direction toward the operating mechanism androller means on the underside of the cover riding in said track, saidtrack being notched at opposite ends for receiving and retaining theroller means depending upon which direction the cover is moved, and said5. In" a portable sprayer, a chassis, a tank of material to be sprayedthereon, operating mechanism on the chassis at one end of the. tank fordispensing the material tobe sprayed from the tank and includinganexhaust pipe projecting to one side of the tank, a cover extendingover and along the sides of said tank and a slide mechanism between thecover and tank extending generally lengthwise of the tank and chassisand supporting the cover for longitudinal sliding movement in onedirection to extend over the operating mechanism and also for slidingmovement in an opposite direction over the tank to expose the operatingmechanism for access thereto, said cover having a laterally projectingextension for movement over the exhaust pipe when the cover is moved ina direction to cover the operating mechanism and so as to minimize thelikelihood of manual contact with the exhaust pipe and to prevent damageby the material to be sprayed.

6. A portable sprayer, a chassis, a'tank of material to be sprayedcarried by said chassis, operating mechanism on the chassis at one endof thetank for dispensing the material to be sprayed from the tank, aprotective cover having an unbroken surface for resistingcorrosion ofsprayed particles including opposed vertical portions suspended alongthe sides of said tank and a dished portion joining the opposed verticalportions to form a composite cover, and a slide mechanism housed in thedished portion of the cover between the cover and tank extendinggenerally lengthwise of the tank and chassis and supporting the coverfor longitudinal sliding movement in one direction to extend over theoperating mech- V anism and also for sliding movement in an oppositedirec-' tion over the tank to expose the operating mechanism for readyaccess. V Y

7. A portable sprayer, a chassis, a tank of material to be sprayedcarried by said chassis, operating mechanism on the chassis at one endof the tank for dispensing the material to be sprayed from the tank, aprotective cover having an unbroken surface for resisting corrosion ofsprayed particles including opposed vertical portions suspended alongthe sides of saidtank and a dished'portion joining the opposed verticalportions to form a composite cover, and a slide mechanism housed in thedished portion of the cover between the'cover and tank extendinggenerally lengthwise of the tank and chassis and supporting the coverfor longitudinal sliding movement in one direction to extend over theoperating mechanism and also for sliding movement in an oppositedirection.

over the tank to expose the operating mechanism for ready access, saidsliding mechanismincluding a track over the tank inclined downwardly'ina direction toward the operating mechanism and roller means ontheunderside of the cover riding in said track, said track being notchedat opposite ends for receiving and retaining the roller meansdependingupon which direction'the cover is moved, said roller meansbeing readily disengageable from the notches upon manual pressure beingapplied to the cover for sliding it from one of said positions to theother.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

